Procedure for obtaining a passport for a U.S. citizen in England.

by Helen
(San Antonio, TX, USA)

Question: My grandson was born in San Antonio, Texas, moved to England at the age of 5 when his mother married an Englishman, and he is still a resident of England.

He had a passport at that time which is no longer valid. He is now 23 and is anxious to return to the United States. What is the best procedure for him to follow to obtain a current U.S. passport? Since his first passport is approximately 18 years old, can he obtain a renewable or should he apply for a brand new "adult" passport? I am assuming a DS-11 Application for Passport form is the one he should use, is this correct?

I understand he must go to the American Embassy in London but I'm not positive as to the proper procedure he must follow, if this is correct. Is there something known as a "Temporary Passport"? I do believe a "regular" adult passport, which is good for ten years, would be a better option. He does have his old passport and his birth certificate which he can present to the Embassy for identification.

He is scheduled to come to the U.S. on June 28, will he need to expedite the passport? If he decides he wants to remain in the United States, what procedure if any, is necessary for him to remain in the United States?

Please help me with these questions. I truly appreciate your service in this matter. Thank you so very much.

Question: The first step is for your grandson to schedule an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in London. To the appointment, he needs to take a completed but unsigned form DS-11, evidence of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate), proof of identification (valid driver's license or national identity card) and one passport photo (careful with size - different from UK passport photos).

In addition, he needs to present any foreign passport that he may currently hold, have held, or been included in (such as a UK passport); any foreign naturalization certificate (if he has acquired British citizenship); and evidence of name change if he has changed his name since his proof of citizenship (birth certificate) was issued.

If he submits the application soon, there should be no reason to expedite the process.

Since your grandson is a U.S. citizen by birth, I do not think there is anything special that needs to be done for him to remain in the United States.

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